7 Biggest Food Label Lies from “Eat this, Not That” – Men’s Health

7. FOOD LABEL LIE #7: Sunny D:

The Crime: The day-glo liquid presents itself as a delicious, nutritious alternative to orange juice, but in truth, it’s little more than sweetened water.

The Evidence:Look at the label. The vast majority of this bottle consists of water and corn syrup, with less than two percent coming from concentrated juice swirled with artificial colors, sweeteners, canola oil, and sodium hexametaphosphate (don’t ask). The beverage company bases its vague nutrition claims (“sunshine in a bottle”?) on the fact that Sunny D contains 100 percent of your vitamin C. But you know what else has 100 percent of your day’s vitamin C? A scoop of broccoli, a few thick slices of red bell pepper, a medium orange, or a multivitamin. Also condemnable is Sunny D’s current marketing campaign, which encourages children to collect Sunny D labels in exchange for schoolbooks. Care for some diabetes with that diploma?

The Takeaway:“Fruit-flavored” is no substitution for real fruit. If you want the full nutritional package, buy fresh, unadulterated produce—or at the very least 100 percent juice. Sunny D isn’t the only beverage that will drown your healthy diet. Take a look at the 20 Worst Drinks in America to learn which will do the most damage to your waistline.

6. FOOD LABEL LIE #6: Natural Cheetos:

The Crime:Abuse of the term “natural.” Last I checked, Cheetos don’t grow in the wild.

The Evidence:When was the last time you saw a flowering field of disodium phosphate? Or how about a fresh crop of maltodextrin? Didn’t think so.These cheese puffs consist largely of corn, but they’ve been processed to the point that no 20th-century farmer would ever recognize them as food. What’s more, compared to regular Cheetos, they only have about 10 fewer calories per serving. Oh, and see those “natural flavors” on the ingredient statement? By FDA standards, those don’t even have to relate to the food in question. For all we know, those are tinctures made from bovine bone marrow.